Leadership Success for Local Cadet

Every year, Irish Guards cadets from all over the British Isles participate in the ‘Mini Micks’ competition at Magilligan Training Camp in Londonderry. The Mini Micks a closely fought military skills competition where cadets get to prove themselves in a variety of skills including first aid, drill, map reading, fitness, turnout, military knowledge and regimental history.

For some of the more senior Cadets, however, one of the skills being tested is Leadership – with the Ben Baker Trophy for the Best Section Commander up for grabs.

As always, it was closely fought, but this years’ recipient was Cadet Company Sergeant Major (Cadet CSM) Samantha Newell, from Gransha Detachment in Bangor.

Samantha joined the Army Cadet Force in March 2009 and has since progressed steadily through the cadet syllabus and rank structure, being selected as Cadet CSM for her Company in October. Her leadership and instructional abilities have made her an integral member of her Detachment, Company and Battalion and she was recently commended for ‘displaying a very high standard of teaching skills across all disciplines’ during her Senior Cadre Instructors Cadres during this years’ summer camp at Otterburn, Northumbria.

Her teaching abilities aside, however, it was her control and leadership that captured the judges’ attention at Magilligan this September, using the skills she had accumulated whilst excelling at Company and Regional Competitions to prove that she was 2013’s National number one.

A very proud Cadet CSM Newell is pictured alongside Major Simon Nicholls, Irish Guards with the Ben Baker Trophy for Best Section Commander.